


Mating Dance

by Averia



Category: Agent Carter (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: 5 Times, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bullying, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-08
Updated: 2015-11-08
Packaged: 2018-04-30 15:12:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5168522
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Averia/pseuds/Averia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Five times Sousa was called Susan and one time he found the name on the internet.<br/>Or <br/>Jack Thompson’s strange Mating Dance</p>
            </blockquote>





	Mating Dance

_1_

He could not hide his smile when Peggy walked onto stage as if she owned it. She winked at him and then turned around to Angie. Both of them were trying to make their acting look even more authentic but for him their part was already wonderful. He had never seen someone with more chemistry. He was really glad that Peggy had argued with their teacher long enough to get the role even though she was female. She had been right that it would only bring a new twist to a story like Romeo and Juliet. Their teacher had been sceptic at first, had tried to ignore her but Peggy was no one that could be ignored and he had quickly learned that he could not call her out on bad acting skills either. In the end Daniel had gotten the job to rewrite the script a bit but it had nearly remained the same. 

„You should have played the girl, Susan.”

Daniel narrowed his eyes and tried to ignore Thompson, even when the other male leaned forward onto the railing to get a better look at the two young women.

“You‘re more feminine than Carter” he said drawling and Daniel could feel their arms touching “but that’s not hard. “

The bastard really had the nerve to smirk up at him.

Daniel grinded the heel of his crutch down on his foot without twitching an eye, knowing that nobody would be able to see it in the dark. Neither Thompson’s fan club nor their teacher would have let him get through with this otherwise. Thompson hissed and a gaze full of fury hit him. For a moment he thought Thompson would pay him back double but the other man only harshly bumped into him before he walked out of the door.

_2_

He was walking out off the building with Steve at his side. He knew his friend just wanted to finally tell Peggy and Bucky about the chance he had gotten to be accepted by a new P.E. health program. For Daniel Steve just seemed like a boy with genetics that did not match with societies accepted norm, nothing that would have needed some form of health program. But Steve believed there was more that he could do and if it made him happy then Daniel would not stand in his way. The last time he had said something had been a year ago and Peggy had murdered him with her gaze, he did not want to make that experience again.  

“I am not a child, Steve. I can walk alone. Go ahead” he ushered him on when the blond was starting to irritate him with his constant back and forth walking. Steve looked at him, trying to say no because he was just the kind of guy to leave no one behind even thou he wanted to. Daniel pushed him forward with his crutch.

“Alright, alright” Steve said flailing and rolled his eyes despite the grin not leaving his face.

Glad that he could finally walk in a slower pace he limped on. But because his life had never been easy, the Thompson gang had to decide to rise from their tables in the same moment he was walking past them.

“Susan” Thompson greeted him, tipping an imaginary hat and a smile on his face.

“Jackass” he growled back, low enough to keep the laughing crowd from hearing him. Thompson did thou and Daniel hated that the smile turned into a grin.    

_3_

His family had never been rich and helping out in the library was a job he had taken gladly. He enjoyed the place most of the times. The studious came here, people that liked him and people he liked in return. But there were always days that even people like Thompson had to frequent the library, people that where neither studious nor cared for any rules.

“What can I do for you?” Daniel asked. Arms crossed in front of his chest while he glowered up at him.  

“You could smile, darling” he said and Daniel nearly showed his surprise of not being called Susan but the new derisive endearment was not better.

“I am searching for a book” said Thompson when he did not react to the provocation.

“Really?” Daniel drawled and bit back the sarcasm.

“Well, not only, obviously” Thompson said a flirty smile on his lips and Daniel could have sworn someone had just cooed at the abomination in front of him.

“Slaughterhouse Five.”

Daniel stared up at him, momentarily shocked that someone like Thompson even knew such a book existed and would actively try to read it. He had never seen him as someone who was against war. And even if he did not like war, it was common knowledge that Thompson had a short temper and a serious right hook, he did not seem to be the type to ever touch an anti-war book. Thompson was as far away from a pacifist as a feral pig.

He finally looked away from the other male when his disbelieve had vanished, also realising that Thompson had started to grin again, it looked victorious now and Daniel did not want to know what that would mean for him.

“Row seven, left side. The author is listed” he said after a quick check, not raising his gaze again until Thompson had left.  He looked after him, could still not fully believe which book Thompson had been searching for. Perhaps Thompson was actually misunderstood, like Steve sometimes tried to tell them?

“I can’t find it.”

No, Steve was completely wrong. Thompson was the devil personified.

He held the sigh back and looked up at him. The blond was leaning against the desk, completely casual. Daniel nearly tried to call him out on his bullshit but then he saw Miss Fry jogging at them and the words died on his lips.

She was slightly out of breath and her eyebrows twitched from irritation. He glanced at Thompson, who now smiled pleasantly. As if he had gotten exactly what he had wanted. 

“Daniel, please be so nice and help Mister Thompson. I cannot find the book either.”

He wanted to protest but he knew how Miss Fry could get and nodded, even though Miss Fry had already turned to the next students, telling them to keep away from the second floor.

His gaze swept over the aisle, a frown settling on his face when he saw a gap between the books. Perhaps some student in the library was currently reading it? Before he could turn around again to tell Thompson that he could come back another day (preferably when Daniel was not working), he could feel the other male pressing up against his back, a hand curing around his shoulder. He stilled surprised, a snarl forming on his lips but then he could do nothing more but stare at the book that was pushed back into the gap, filling it perfectly.

“Thank you, Susan” was whispered into his ear and he swallowed thickly when a shiver went down his spine.

_4_

He tried to suppress the desperate feeling blooming in his chest and the tears starting to sting his eyes, when he stepped out of the shower just to see that someone had thought it would be fun to let his crutch disappear.

He clutched onto the enclosure and breathed through deeply, trying to find a way to reach at least his bag in the other room without falling down. His physical therapist had told him to try going a few steps without them each day. All he had to do was picture this as one of his exercises. He had at least a towel at his disposal and quickly bound it around his waist, not too late it seemed, when a low whistle echoed through the room.

Thompson was leaning against the door frame, tapping the clutch against his side in a slow rhythm. Daniel clutched the towel tighter when he could feel and see the blue eyes racking over his body. He tensed when Thompson came nearer ready to fight against whatever the other male would throw at him instead Thompson pressed the crutch against his chest.

Daniel looked down at the hand touching his skin. The knuckles were rasped and pink. Dirt was visible under his fingernails. He took the crutch out of the scraped hand and stared into the with anger blazing eyes of Thompson. The other male turned around without another word and Daniel needed a moment before he could form words again.

“Thanks” he called after him, nearly stumbling over the word, and Thompson’s laugher echoed around him.

“No problem, Susan.”

_5_

Daniel did not hate clubs and parties. It was just a bit stressing when they were overflowing with people which they mostly did because it was the reason they existed. He finally reached the bar and settled on one of the barstool, relieved to take a bit of pressure from his leg. 

The Barkeeper smiled at him. He had been here with his friends often enough that they knew each other and he tended to settle at the bar rather soon.

 “What can I get you, Danny?” he asked. Daniel chose a Pomegranate Martini, knowing they made the best, probably because it was the barkeepers favourite too. They had actually bonded over the drink, which had been hilarious because nobody else understood how they could possibly talk for hours about cocktails.

He sipped slowly at the red liquid, hoping he would find his friends again before the party was over, which always got complicated when Bucky was with them.

His eyes caught the look of another man and Daniel groaned, when one quick look was just as quickly interpreted as flirting. The guy was not bad looking but Daniel was not interest to hook up with a stranger. He cringed when the man nearly sauntered to the bar just to lean against the counter. He glanced at the barkeeper, who could barely surpass laugher. 

“Hi” the guy said and Daniel’s eyes flickered to the man’s fingers. Seeing how he caressed the neck of the bottle of his beer spoke volumes about this guy’s primal need. He raised an unimpressed eyebrow.

“Not that easy, are we?” the guy asked, half-crocked smile on his lips, and leaned forward. Daniel wondered if the guy knew that he seemed like a huge asshole. “I can assure we could have fun, I am sure we _can_ have fun.”

Daniel was sure this guy had not heard about subtlety ever or about flirting or even bad pick-up lines.

“Aww, come on. Why don’t we get drunk and make some bad decisions?”

And there was the bad pick-up line.

“You look like you already are, and you just did” Daniel deadpanned but the guy did not seem discouraged and he slightly leaned back when he came a bit closer.

“So, why did I make a bad decision?” the guy asked and Daniel was seriously getting fed up with him, when suddenly an arm wound around his shoulder.  

 „Because Susan is with me“ Thompson said, grinning at the guy who was so taken aback by the name or the sudden appearance that he could only stare at Thompson, when he pulled Daniel into his lab. Since when had Thompson been there?   

“I can take care of myself” Daniel hissed when the guy turned away seemingly pissed.

Thompson rolled his eyes and then they both noticed that Daniel had not removed the arm from his shoulders nor had he grasped for his crutch to get away.

“I knew you would have said no. You have me after all, darling.” 

_+1_

Jack was lying on his bed actually reading Slaughterhouse Five. Daniel had underestimated him so much he was nearly frustrated with himself. He looked down at his essay for history and groaned, deciding that a break was in order. Stretching he wondered what he should do. His eyes fell onto Jack and he suddenly felt the urge to give _the name_ into his search engine. It was something else than the East-West-Conflict and seemed just as good as anything else to get on other thoughts.

_Susan's tend to be wonderful girls! If you've got one hold on tight! Susan's are extremely fun, caring, intelligent, very funny, beautiful, and make the best friends and girlfriends ever! They are the epitome of classyness!_

He snorted quietly and Jack looked at him in wonder. He closed the laptop before Jack could take a look and instead pressed a kiss on his boyfriend’s lips.

“What was that for?” Jack asked laughing and Daniel smiled, shrugging his shoulders.

“Can’t I kiss my boyfriend?” he replied with a raised eyebrow, laying the laptop to the side. Jack looked at him sceptical but it did not stop them from kissing again. 

“Tell me why you are suddenly so happy” Jack whispered, their noses rubbing against each other.

Daniel hummed against his lips, raking a hand through the blond hair.

“Because I love you.”

**Author's Note:**

> The Meaning of Susan © Urban Dictionary


End file.
